


The Road Back Home

by RedDeerling



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Light Angst, M/M, Mentions of Gon and Killua, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Moving In Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:09:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26943445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedDeerling/pseuds/RedDeerling
Summary: Everyone knows what move-in days are like when you have to do it all yourself. A hell on earth of carrying boxes back and forth, loading up a truck, driving it, carrying boxes again, unpacking, trying to shovel some food into your mouth before you pass out...Yeah, Leorio had been prepared for all that, as much as he'd been dreading it.What nobody tells you about, are the quiet hours. Late into the night after you're already done. Laying next to your significant other in a state of dazed exhaustion and realizing that this is actually, really happening.
Relationships: Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Comments: 2
Kudos: 86





	The Road Back Home

**Author's Note:**

> So, full disclosure...I just recently watched through all of the 1999 anime for the first time. I'm currently making my way through the OVA, and I plan to watch the 2011 series afterwards too! But I wrote this short piece recently for fun and I wanted to share it. Sorry if anything ends up being contradictory or OOC though ;w; No spoilers please!

It'd all happened so damned fast. A whirlwind of conversations, fantasizing, then actually planning out what the expenses would be, talking about location, looking at different places...until finally, today, the four of them had just finished moving into their own _house_. Leorio's entire body ached. His bones felt like they were creaking. He was starting to believe all the “elderly” jabs that the other three oh-so loved to toss at him. Especially when the two kids of the group had inhuman reserves of energy...but even they went to bed early today.

At least Kurapika'd looked a bit winded, but Leorio had still moaned and groaned loud enough for the lot of them. Sue him, they'd been moving boxes and _furniture_ around all damn day! _Not to mention_ he was the one who'd had to drive the moving truck, he didn't get to lounge around in the backseat like the rest of them!

At least for now though, he was finally laying down in a bed. A glorious, glorious bed. Leorio let out his 28th (approximately, according to Kurapika's last count) groan as he stretched his arms across the mattress – one of them whacking into the other body beside his. Yeah, it was on purpose. You share a bed with him, and this is what you're gonna get. He's a tall guy, he needs a lot of space.

There was a huff beside him, but it sounded amused more than anything.

“I don't need you giving me any more bruises.” Kurapika had that tone he always seemed to wear specifically when he wanted to give Leorio a hard time. Which was, to be fair, pretty often. Ah, well...it's not like he actually minded it all that much. His arm was gently pushed back away again, cutting down on his sprawling. “You certainly did a number on me earlier with the lamp.”

That drew out a wince. Leorio waved his hand in apology. “Yeah..I'm sorry about that. Look, you gotta understand – my legs felt like rubber by then.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the smile on Kurapika's face, and blue eyes that were shining with happiness up towards the ceiling of their new room. “Then you should've taken a break when we offered.”

“Oh come on. Stopping to sit around while Gon and Killua were _already_ running circles around me? I swear, I keep telling you guys – I'm not that old!” There was a tired scowl to his words, without any real bite behind it. As much as he could do without seeing a cardboard box ever again, he sure was hell wouldn't have let the rest of the household do all the work while he sat on the sidelines.

Kurapika chuckled in response, his laughter warm and bright. “Right, right. But you _are_ still the senior here.”

“Yeah, well. The rest of you could stand to act like it from time to time. If you're already gonna make fun of me, you can at least give me the senior citizen discounts along with it. 'Respect your elders', ever heard of the phrase...”

Seriously, 21 here. Swear to god. He might as well be on death's door according to Killua and Gon.

“Mm...perhaps. If only...because you were the reason we could sign on for this house.”

The sudden sincerity in those last words sent a surprised stutter through his chest. Leorio took a moment to lay there in silence, staring up at the same ceiling as Kurapika. They really hadn't had a chance to let anything sink in yet, after running around all over the place for the whole day. It wasn't long before he was shaking his head in disbelief.

“Shit. We-...we really went and bought a house.” He let his arm flop back over onto Kurapika again, the back of his hand resting on the other's shoulder. “It's pretty weird when you think about it, huh?”

He caught a flash of eyes widening. It lasted only about a half second, but still long enough for Leorio to notice. Kurapika didn't respond right away, slowly angling his head to look towards him, a frown forming on his lips. “Weird how...?”

Leorio let out a small laugh, partially to try and ease some of the tension that was forming on Kurapika's face. “I didn't say anything bad, did I? I just mean...”

A sigh now. How to put this...? It was kind of sappy, if he was being honest. But his brain was too fried to think of any eloquent words, and he figured Kurapika would appreciate it being more straightforward. “I've always thought of you guys as family anyway. I just never imagined we were the sort of family who'd buy a house. That's all.”

Kurapika's face seemed to soften a little, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly. But the frown wasn't gone yet either. This time he turned his body towards Leorio – propping himself up on his elbow and looking at him straight on. Blue eyes studied him for a while, a strange intensity behind them. Leorio let him look all he wanted to. It's not like he had anything to hide.

The four of them were always on the road, always out on some new job, sometimes together, sometimes apart...but always going, going, going. The idea of settling down together was just foreign to him, but not _bad._

Kurapika bit his lip. Leorio seemed to finally notice the deep lines under his eyes from the lack of sleep the past day or so.

“Do you mean, then...did you...not want this...? Would you have preferred if things stayed the way they were...?”

The words sent a jolt of alarm through him.

“Hey, hey.” Leorio rolled right over to face him now too – turning his hand to grip onto Kurapika's arm. “Like you said, I signed on for the place, didn't I? I've been carrying boxes up and down the stairs all day. Again, emphasizing _all day_. It's not like anyone forced me. You think I'd be doing that if I didn't want to?”

“Well...” Kurapika let out a soft laugh. Something about it almost seemed a little bittersweet. “Maybe if it was something the rest of us wanted. Or... if it was something that I did.”

The last sentence quieted down until it was hardly a whisper.

Leorio threw a pointed frown at him. Before there was any chance for protest, he folded his arms tightly around Kurapika's smaller frame – rolling onto his back again and pulling the other up to lean against his chest. He smiled and let his fingers thread through a few loose strands of blond hair, curving down to rest against his cheek. “You need some sleep. Your big stupid brain is on overdrive right now, you hear me? I promise, this is something I want. You should know that already.”

Kurapika's breath stuttered against him. It wouldn't be quite accurate to describe the body in his arms as a bundle of nerves, but he was still definitely tense compared to when they'd first laid down. As Leorio held him though, Kurapika seemingly decided to indulge in his generous embrace – leaning into his chest, closing his eyes. Slowly, he could feel arms wrapping loosely around his shoulders in return. There we go. That was better.

Leorio lowered his own voice a little, fingers moving rhythmically up and down along the side of Kurapika's face. “You've got nothing to worry about. Alright?”

There was a gentle rhythm of breathing against him. Kurapika kept his eyes closed, and seemed to make an effort to calm himself back down. Eventually, he felt the other make a slight nod against him. “Mm.”

That small sound had a sense of weakness to it that caught Leorio by surprise. There wasn't any follow up afterwards either.

He waited a little while longer, but Kurapika seemed to be at a bit of a loss for words. So Leorio decided to fill in some of more of the silence himself. Maybe ease a little more of those nerves. “All I'm really saying, is I'm still trying to process the fact that I now own a house, and all of you are actually in it. Hell, that and the fact that we have our own room we're sharing.”

Kurapika hummed against him, keeping his eyes closed. His words came out soft, and muffled. “...Right. I'm sorry, I...suppose I was just a little worked up, after a long day. I'm sure I could use some sleep, as you said.”

For him to get so tense all of a sudden, Leorio figured there was probably at least a bit more to it than that. Come to think of it, there was a good chance that this was the first time Kurapika had really settled down anywhere since...well. Since he'd been with his people. The word 'family' was probably more loaded for him than he was letting on, huh? But he wasn't gonna go digging that up if Kurapika didn't want to talk about it just yet. It really had been one hell of a day.

A somewhat wry smile formed on his lips as he stroked his fingers through Kurapika's hair in gentle, soothing motions. “See? I knew you were just putting on a tough act all day. But allllll you wanna do is look cool in front of the kids, so you make fun of me right along with them.” No more of that crap of calling him old from _you_ , ok?? For fuck's sake...

He was rewarded with a small smile spreading across Kurapika's face. Yeah, yeah...he knows the drill. Making fun of himself was always one surefire way to bring out a smile. In his professional opinion though, it was still worth it.

Kurapika didn't say anything in response, but nudged his face down against him a little more. A silent admission. Leorio decided to take that as a small victory. At least Kurapika really seemed to be settling down now as a more comfortable silence began to spread over them. Leorio got the sense that there was still something lingering there, but he'd let Kurapika bring it out at his own pace.

Besides, it... _was_ nice to be alone in a space that was well and truly their own. They could rest to their heart's content for the whole night. The room itself still didn't feel quite like 'home' just yet...it was still brand new, after all. The fact that they weren't fully unpacked yet probably didn't help much either. Still, to add another sappy sentiment onto the night (he'd earned it, ok?)...there really was something special about being here. It was different from getting a hotel room on the go, obviously.

Hell, this would be the place where he and Kurapika would be coming back to again, and again. Whenever they wanted. In his tired daze, it was hard to wrap his head around it. Ever since they'd met, it'd felt like they'd never been able to stick around one place for more than a few weeks at most. They were really in uncharted waters right now.

Leorio tilted his head back to rest against the headboard and decided to close his eyes too, content to listen to the quiet patter of rain that was starting to pick up outside. The hand in Kurapika's hair slowly wound around his head to rest there, his free hand shifting towards his back to rub small circles into it. Kurapika let out a small sound of surprise at the gesture, but relaxed soon afterwards – letting himself sink deeper into Leorio's embrace. Hey, he might not be studying massage therapy, but he was still pretty good at giving his boyfriend a nice back rub.

And honestly, if Kurapika was anything to go by, he _was_ actually really good. It felt like he was practically melting down into his arms. Soon there would be nothing but a puddle left.

He worked his fingers against the soft fabric, adding some slight pressure wherever he felt any remaining tension. A good few minutes passed like that, without much of anything else happening.

“L...Leorio...” Kurapika's voice came out muffled again, sounding a little dazed as he broke the silence.

“Hm?”

Kurapika tilted his head to rest his cheek against Leorio's chest, letting himself talk a little more easily. “I...know you're tired too. But...would you stay up with me for a while longer? I still don't want to go to sleep just yet.”

Leorio opened his eyes, specifically so he could roll them as he smiled to himself, voice full of tenderness. “You idiot. What do you think I'm doing right now? I'm not gonna sleep until you do.”

A small, embarrassed noise came from below as Kurapika quickly buried his face right back down again. It was dark, but he could swear he saw a bit of red on the tips of the other's ears. A rare, well-rewarded sight if he wasn't hallucinating it.

“I- I didn't want to assume...!”

Leorio grinned ear to ear. Yeah, it was pretty obvious he'd liked that answer. He let his hand glide up along Kurapika's back, then smooth down against the soft fabric of his shirt. “Just make sure _you_ don't go nodding off right away, if you wanna stay up so bad.”

The arms around his shoulder shuddered a little but then squeezed him even harder. “I won't...To be honest, it doesn't matter how tired I am. I wouldn't be able to fall asleep regardless.”

Something stirred in his heart at those words. Maybe...when you got down to it, Kurapika was just excited to be here like this. With him. And here he was, putting a damper on things the whole time. Complaining left and right. Maybe...he'd been making him nervous for longer than just recently, and it wasn't as sudden as it'd seemed.

Leorio moved both of his hands to cup Kurapika's cheeks. He tilted the other's face up and was delighted to see that his cheeks _were,_ in fact, still tinged with some red. Kurapika didn't protest, but his eyes darted to the side to avoid his gaze.

“Well...no need to worry about it. You'll have company the whole time. Even if it's all night.”

Keeping his hold on Kurapika's face, he leaned down to press their lips together in a soft, tender kiss – lingering for just a few moments before pulling back enough to look him in the eyes. “And every night from now on. Any time you want it, I'll be here.” Truly a 'husband-worthy' line, if he said so himself.

The flush on Kurapika's cheeks burned a bright red, and he shut his eyes – seemingly in mortification. Leorio still knew though. He could feel that heartbeat beating down against his own chest.

“ _Please_ don't try to put on some cool guy act. I don't think I can deal with it right now.” He pressed a hand to Leorio's face, as if trying to shove him away, but there was no real force behind it.

Yeah, sorry, you picked the wrong guy to romance if that's the case. Leorio laughed, keeping his hands firmly on Kurapika's cheeks, even squeezing them a little. “Awwww don't be so shy, I know you love to hear it!”

This time, the hand _did_ start to shove his face away. It didn't stop him from tugging Kurapika back towards him again for another kiss. And, despite the shoving, there wasn't any real resistance as Kurapika let himself be pulled over. Leorio smiled into the kiss, feeling strangely elated all of a sudden. Maybe it was some weird giddiness from being over-tired. Maybe he was just happy to be doing stupid back and forth banter with the guy he loved.

Heat radiated off of Kurapika's cheeks against his own, but he still returned the kiss eagerly enough. God, did he actually eat up all that sappy stuff? Well, there sure wouldn't be any stopping him from doing it _all the time_ now that they were officially a couple who'd moved in together. Leorio's heart itched with an urge to tease him a little more, but he decided to let it go for now. Besides, he wasn't in any hurry to break away. Their arms slowly settled more comfortably around each other as they deepened the kiss. They were sloppy from exhaustion, but Leorio didn't care. Any kiss shared with Kurapika was one for the history books.

A feeling of contentment settled over him, stronger than before. Being behind these closed doors offered a new sense of security he hadn't realized he'd been missing all this time. There was no urgency to get things done while they had the chance, no fear of having to cut things off or being interrupted...they were just... _here._ And they could take their time, however they wanted to.

Leorio relayed all the tenderness of the words he'd said earlier into his kiss. And it seemed a little easier for Kurapika to accept it this way, as he felt a hand close over his own – fingers squeezing his in a fierce grip.

Yeah...to hell with being tired. To hell with sleep. For the first night in their new home, he wouldn't want to spend it any other way than exactly like _this._


End file.
